Dates produced
1978-2012
Designer
Michael Harris and William Walker
Colourways
The colourways are derived from the colour of the base glass. All colourways are covered in gold and silver foil, except for the Gold colourway which is gold foil only on a black base glass.
- Azure (light, sky blue, 1988-1994, 2010-September 2011)
- Black (not a true black, but an extremely dark inky blue, which looks black, 1978-December 2012)
- Blue (mid-blue, 1979-1987, 1996-1997, 2005-2009)
- Gold (1982-1996)
- Green (1981-1984)
- Pink (1979-1994, 2003-2009)
- Purple (2009-September 2011)
- Red (1986-1987; 2009)
- Royal Blue (cobalt blue, 1979-1988, and from October 2011-December 2012)
- Turquoise (1986-1987)
- White (1982-1984)
Some pieces produced by or attributed to St. John's Crystal on the Isle of Man could be confused with early Isle of Wight 'Azurene' pieces. Click here for further information.
Examples
Azure
Flask perfume bottle. Image courtesy of Chris Cooper.
Black
A unique vase, 19 cm high x 20 cm at the widest point, made by Michael Harris or Chris Hotten as a trial piece about 1978-79, with impressed 'flame' pontil to the base, as shown on page 85 of Michael Harris: Mdina Glass & Isle of Wight Studio Glass, by Mark Hill [1]. This vase was formerly in the Mark Hill collection but was acquired by Isle of Wight Glass Museum.
A twinky vase, 16.5 cm high, 20 cm diameter and 6.5 cm thick, made mostly for the American market. Notice that the sliver foil on the surface is tarnished and looks very grey. This was common on early pieces of Azurene.
Azurene black miniature conical perfume bottle, 6 cm diameter at base, 7 cm tall. Made in 2011. Image courtesy of www.billtrev.com.
Miniature vase, 4.5 cm high, 5.7 cm diameter. It is not known when this was made, but possibly in the 2000s.
This fish vase was made c.1985-1987 and is 20 cm tall and 20.5 cm wide. It is signed on the base "Michael Harris 74-500".
Azurene Ship’s Decanter, 26 cm high including stopper, 17.5 cm wide at the base. Made by Chris Hotton around 1980. According to Timothy Harris's recollection very few of these decanters in black Azurene were made. Examples in blue and pink Azurene are also known.
This certificate was issued with a black Azurene cylinder vase around 1979. The vase had the Design Council Award label awarded that year on the base, presumably covering the flame pontil mark.
Blue
Fish vase, 20 cm high, 20 cm diameter. This item in this size was only available in 1986/7 but due to an enormous price hike in 1986 its sale was severely curtailed, making it one of very few pieces sold at the time.
Tall cylinder vase, 22.5 cm high, 10 cm diameter.
Gold
Notice that this flask perfume bottle (14.5 cm high, 11 cm diameter) has only gold leaf added to the surface, not both gold and silver as in other versions of Azurene.
Green
Lollipop vase, 23 cm high.
Pink
Lollipop vase, 23 cm high.
Fish vase, signed by Michael Harris for export to the US, numbered 132/500, shown on page 63 of Mark Hill's book [1]. Purchased from the Mark Hill Collection.
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Flask perfume bottle, 11.5 cm high, 10.8 cm maximum width, and 3.0 cm deep. The top was prepared to accept an atomizer. The mark on the base reads 'Produced for Gregor', which was a Bavarian company that sold perfume bottles. The bottle may have been made around 1989.
Red
Perfume bottle, 9 cm high, signed on the base by Michael Harris 1987. This is an extremely rare piece.
Azurene red globe vase. Image courtesy of Mike Collinson.
Turquoise
Flask perfume bottle, 15 cm high. Turquoise is one of the rarer colours of Azurene.
White
Lollipop vases in white Azurene are extremely rare. A handful of experimental pieces were made. It is 15 cm high. Price lists of the time for white Azurene include only egg and fruit shaped paperweights.
